Forget the Monday Morning Resolutions, Tomorrow is Now!

Your Future is Now

by Jacqueline Cornaby

Every Monday morning millions of people make resolutions in an attempt to
positively change their lives. I'm going to start my diet. I'm going to
get rid of my debt. I'm finally going to end this destructive
relationship. I'm going to start exercising every day. The list is
endless. Yet, by day's end over half of us have already broken our
resolutions, and within two months, the remaining 50% don't fare much
better. What went wrong?

Some people blame their lack of success on outside events. They claim
that the kids, their job, their spouse, and their prior commitments took
up so much time that attaining the dream became impossible. Others blame
their own goal setting strategies, believing their resolutions were too
lofty for anyone to achieve. The fact is that when it comes to positively
changing your life, resolutions are not enough. The key is to look inside
and determine not what you want to achieve in the next few months, but
rather, who you want to be for the rest of your life.

What vs. Who

When people say they want to achieve something, they naturally look to
outside factors for support, advice, and direction. For example, they can
only quit smoking if their stress level is down; they can only exercise
each morning if the kids don't need to be driven to school; they can only
earn more money if the economy would change. The mentality is: "As soon
as...then..." However, when people decide to positively change their
perception of who they see themselves to be and choose ownership instead
of excuses, then they are personally accountable for their future and don'
t need outside factors to guide them. They can say no to that dessert
because instead of trying to achieve weight loss or being the ones always
on a diet, they are committed to becoming healthier individuals.

In order to change your perspective of yourself and reach your personal
goals, you can follow a simple three-step process that enables you to turn
your future vision of yourself into current reality. By doing so, you
create your future today and assure that the coming months and years will
be different and grander if you choose.

Create your vision.

If you could design the ideal life for yourself, what would it look like?
How would you feel? What would you tell yourself to ensure your vision
would become real for you? Would you be ten pounds thinner? Would you have
at least an hour's worth of free time in your daily schedule so you could
focus on you? Would you be able to make smart financial choices so you
could increase your net worth? Whatever it is you create for yourself,
that's the vision you need to focus on to bring your future to you now.

When you neglect to create your vision, you essentially allow outside
factors to determine your life's course. Creating a vision is about taking
control of your future and accepting responsibility for the choices you
need to make. It's a proactive approach to life that says you refuse to
let external circumstances get in the way of your dreams. By keeping your
vision firmly in mind, you give yourself the strength and conviction to
transform your beliefs so you can finally become who you really want to
be.

As you create this initial vision, take the time to examine other areas of
your life and then determine the focus for each individual aspect. For
example, you could have a vision of your physical health, your family
relationships, your job, your community contribution, and anything else
you can think of. The more focused you are on how each aspect of your life
should be, the more clarity you have on your future direction.

Create your identity in relation to your vision.

What three qualities or values do you want to own or possess to make your
vision real? Some examples are "happy," "peaceful," "unstoppable,"
"strong," or "committed." Because your external world is a reflection of
your internal world, what you create in your life will only be as strong
as who you are inside.

Identity is about taking ownership for your vision and for who you want to
become. Without identity come excuses - all those reasons why you can't
make your vision real. I can't enjoy life fully because I'm so stressed
from my job. I can't have the quality of life I want because I don't have
enough time. I can't lose weight because I don't have the willpower to
resist dessert. I can't get out of this bad relationship because I'm
afraid of being alone." All these excuses occur because of a lack of an
empowering identity. A person's identity is a powerful force within the
human psyche. Why not choose one that serves you?

When you choose the qualities you want to possess, you prohibit outside
factors from slowing you down. You choose to feel at peace so you can
enjoy life. You choose to be strong and healthy so you can lose weight.
You choose to be happy so you can release a draining relationship.
Essentially, your job, your family, your friends, and even current events
can no longer dictate who you are or who you become. Creating your
identity frees you from others' control and enables you to finally act
upon the goals you have set for yourself. It's a matter of realizing that
there is no becoming; there is just the declaration of all that you
already are right now.

Commit to your vision.

Nothing happens without action. The same is true for making your vision a
reality. With your vision and your identity clear, you now must take the
steps that will positively impact your life and transform you into the
person you have chosen to be.

When you commit to your vision you take daily steps that will bring you to
your goal. Daily reflection upon your vision is necessary for achievement.
Some people choose to find photos that remind them of their vision, and
they reflect on the pictures daily; others prefer to read or recite
affirmations that help them connect to precisely what they want in life.
For example, if your goal is to finally shed those extra pounds, you could
find photos of the swimsuit you'd like to wear this summer or you could
remind yourself each day that "I am a healthy individual who is at my
ideal weight." When the mind can envision the new you, the body will be
more eager to do what's necessary to achieve the desired result. The mind
does not know the difference between real or imagined. Why not create an
empowering reality?

Finally, give yourself checkpoints so you can assess your transformation
process. Regularly ask yourself questions such as, "What is different in
my life now compared to one month ago?" "What steps am I currently taking
to help me become the person I want to be?" and "What can I do to bring my
vision closer?" If possible, have an accountability buddy who asks these
questions for you, who helps point out ways that you may be sabotaging
yourself, and who reveals ways that are serving you to bring your future
to you today.

Your Future Awaits
Simply stating goals is not enough to change your life. You must also
decide what your ideal future looks like, what qualities you need to
attain it, and finally what daily steps will bring you to your desired
outcome. Without such a plan, you'll have nothing concrete to run towards
and you'll be content to stay where you are.
By following this simple three-step process you can ditch the Monday
morning resolutions and create the life of your dreams today. Then,
instead of hitting the two-month mark and wondering, "What happened to my
goals?" you can further challenge yourself and ask, "What's next for my
life?"

About the Author

Jacqueline Cornaby is the Founder and CEO of Jacqueline International,
Inc. an enterprise for implementing business and life strategies for
individuals and organizations to live an extraordinary life. Jacqueline
is an international speaker, author, and life strategist offering
strategies and techniques for immediate results with fulfillment.
To request more articles or speaking engagements contact:
booking@jacquelineinternational.com